Magic Resistance Genes in Harry Potter?
by Hapcelion
Summary: Ok, so continuing from where I left off, here's another essay of sorts that delves into the question of how a magic resistance gene/allele could come into existence and what it might do.


Magic Resistance Gene

In my earlier piece of work, "Magic Genes in Harry Potter?", I dealt with the issue of genetics and inheritance in the Harry Potter universe to the best of my abilities. I'm not sure how well that worked for some people, but all the same, I left a bit about the possibility of a magic resistance gene/allele at the end of that article.

I understand that J.K. Rowling does not mention anything remotely about Magic Resistance Genes anywhere in the Harry Potter universe. It is something I came up with, having some spare time and all.

Now, onwards. The whole idea of having a magic resistance gene/allele seems quite fun (to me at least). However, there are a number of things I'd like to get out before I approach the idea and stick it into any fic that I might be writing at the moment.

Magic, apparently, seems to be capable of a lot of stuff, maybe even screwing with people's genomes comes off as something that shouldn't surprise us. So it wouldn't be a long stretch to assume that magic created some weird gene/allele that would inherently resist magic. But then again, I don't think wizards know much about genetics in the first place. Do they? Someone throw me a bone here.

For our purposes here, we shall assume the issue to be solely of natural occurrence.

[Ok, here's all the technical part, so if you have no interest in bio and science and technical terms, skip to the part below.]

Let us start with a question: How the Magic Resistance (gene _magR _or allele _m_+) come into existence?

One answer? Mutation.

Mutations caused by radiation or mutagenic substances will most assuredly create disfigurations within DNA, but, unlike Hollywood Science, very few mutations will actually do the body any good. To understand this, we need to take a look at what our DNA actually does.

We've all learned from a young age that DNA is the blueprint for life. Ok, but then that's pretty much all we're told until high school and college. What DNA does is act as a template, with each nucleotide pairing (A-T, G-C) forming a double stranded helix. Template for what you might say? RNA.

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid

RNA: Ribonucleic Acid

These two substances are practically the same things. The only difference is that RNA nucleotides has an extra functional group, hydroxyl (-OH), which can combine with acidic hydrogen protons to form water. It's single stranded and less stable.

Anyways, RNA is "transcribed" by the enzyme RNA Polymerase (mind you, there's more than one polymerase enzyme for RNA), which can be modified within the cell as necessary by other enzymes and later "translated" into proteins.

For RNA, three nucleotides in consecutive sequence generally form a codon. This codon usually matches with an anti-codon on a floating piece of tRNA, specialized RNA molecules that carry amino acids, the stuff that makes up proteins. Amino acids will form a long chain as this process caries on.

Certain codons code for certain amino acids, as you can guess. (here's a helpful table: .org/wiki/Codon)

Some can code for the same amino acid, but this is due largely in part to the flexibility of the third base in the codon, which can be different some of the time and still allow for the necessary amino acid to attach.

Once the RNA sequence hits a STOP codon, the amino acid chain will dislodge itself, then reconfigure itself to a certain form.

Now, what were to happen if there was a wrong coding sequence in DNA? If a nucleotide base pair was cut out, or a new one was added in, that would cause a frame shift. This is particularly harmful, in that a large number of codons would change as well as the amino acids they coded for, resulting in an improper or useless protein. Sometimes, it can create premature STOP codons, which make barely any protein at all.

In some cases, though, a good thing can happen. **CCR5-Δ32 is a deletion mutation that gives resistance to HIV.**

[Ok, end of the bio lesson, guys.]

**So, out of all likelihood, why not have resistance to magical affects?**

Admittedly, there's something about magic that science is going to come into conflict. Proteins (and sometimes, just RNA) are often used to maintain the human body. One can't make a protein that produces psychic powers, though. Or maybe it could, if it affected the brain in a certain way. So, while the paranormal field is still rather popular, let us assume that the protein "managlobin" does indeed affect a person's brain, creating a denser region of the organ that can access the gestalt magical power around the world. Magical energies radiate from anything, some things more than others. In this sense, they can create a magic field. (Ok, I making stuff up, but I'm trying to make sense of something that doesn't entirely make sense, ok?)

That would allow for people to channel magic and do whatever the hell they want, such as bending reality. That's pretty much what you're doing if you make things come out of nowhere, or make slugs come out of someone's mouth.

Now, Muggles, as my earlier work explains, are simply unable to do this, mainly because they don't have the gene/allele active. So, too for Squibs, but they have access to magical items and creatures that help them function in the wizarding world.

The Resistance, I would like to think, creates a completely different protein that renders magic applied on an organism with it to be drastically reduced. Why? Let's say that magic, requires the reality around and sometimes inside the organism to be warped and changed. The protein "δ-magdophenase", which shall be the protein responsible for the resistance, creates alterations to the brain, bestowing the capability to repel some of the magic in the magical field around the organism (perhaps, on a subconscious level), thus diminishing the affects that magic could have on the subject.


End file.
